Orchard-ladder.



E. w. RYDER ORCHARD LADDER.

APRLICATION man APR. 2a. ms.

' 1,258,048. Patented Mal-(5,1918.

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ORCHARD LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED APR- 28.1916- 1,258,048., Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

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ENOCH W. RYDER, OF DECATUR, MICHIGAN.

ORCHARD-LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar.5,1918.

Application filed April 28, 1916. Serial No. 94,281.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ENOCH W. RYDER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Decatur, in the county of Van Buren and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Orchard-Ladders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This inventionv relates to an orchard ladder of the type shown in my previous Patent No. 1,119,883, granted December 8, 1914. It is the object and purpose of the present invention to provide a device of this character with many new and useful improvements and novel features of construction and operation as hereafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims reference being had to the accompanying rawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the ladder.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, parts being shown in section of the mechanism for ad-' justing the main ladder element to various angular positions.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the construction shown a frame is provided including spaced apart horizontal side beams 1 connected by front and rear cross beams 2 and 3, the frame being completed by an intermediate longitudinal beam 4 interposed between said cross beams. Posts 5 are provided at the rear ends of each beam 1 and extend downwardly being securely attached to said beams and braced by angle braces 6 so as to make a rigid construction. A flat metal bracing member is attached at substantially its middle point to the middle of the transverse beam2 as indicated at 7 extending thence forwardly and outwardly in both directions forming the bracing arms 8 which lead to the front ends of the beams l and are turned across said ends to form sections 9 being then turned back alongside and between said sections 10 and the beams as shown, there being formed in this manner a truck to support the ladder construction hereafter described.

Extending upwardly from the rear cross beam 3 are a pair of spaced apart uprights 13 connected together by across member 14 a short distance below their upper ends. A ladder consisting of side members 15 and rungs 16 is located at the upper ends of. the uprights and adjacent the middle of each of the side members 15 and on the underside thereof a block 17 is secured which passes between a member 18 and the upper'end of an upright 13, bolts passing through said uprights and members 18 for .pivotally connecting the ladder to the uprights. The ladder is braced and strengthened by posts 19 extending upwardly at right angles in each side 15 and by brace rods 20, the ends of which are secured to angle clips 21 near the ends of the ladder sides 15, said rods passing through the posts 19 so that in effect a truss is formed capable of with standing heavy loads. 7

Rearwardly extending handles 22 are attached at their forward ends adjacent the lower ends of the uprights 13. Brace members 23 lead from these handle members to the posts 5 and similarly brace members 24 lead from near the middle of each handle to the uprights 13 at a pointsubstantially midway between their upper and lower ends. These handle members permit the raising of the rear part of the truck and movement of the entire truck forward on v the wheels when a change of position is desired.

The uprights 13 are located a distance inwardly from the side beams 1. A ladder comprised of side members 25 and 26, a top 7 piece 27 and a plurality of horizontal rungs 28 is secured at each side of the truck, theagainst the uprights 13, the ladder being secured to these uprights in any suitable manner. A horizontal bar 29 is fastened to the sides 26 of the two ladders, its ends extending a distance to each side of said members and bars 30 secured at their upper ends adjacent the ends of this rod 19 extend downwardly and forwardly to the beams 1 and are rigidly secured thereto near their forward ends. Each bar on its underside is provided with a plurality of notches 31. A platform comprised of a plurality of boards 32 connected by cleats is mounted upon the bar '30, spaced apart straps 34 being attached at either side of each cleat and passing to either side of'the bar 30 and having a pivotal connection to a block 35 slidably mounted on the underside of each bar 30. A pr0jectien 36 is formed on the upper side of each block 35 which is adapted to seat in a notch 31, it being apparent :that the platform can be readily adjusted to a plurality of positions with respect to the supporting bars 30.

A rod '3Tis pivotally connected at its rear end to the'main ladder element comprised of sides 15 and rungs 16, this red extending forwardly'betweenthe u 'arights 13'and having a pivotalconnection at its forward end with bars 38, these bars being spaced apart a short distance and extendingdownwardly to a point below the cross beam 3 and "at their lower ends p'ivotally connecting to the reare'nd of a bar 39 located directly below thebea'm 4: and at its -for-ward end connected to said beam by the links 40 as shown. Links d1 are connected to the bar 39 a distance back of links 4L0 extending upwardly to either side of the beam 4: "and having pivotal connection at their *upper ends to the frontend of a bar 42 which is mounted above the beam t and supported thereon by links 43 piyotally connected to said beam at its rear end and to the bar at substantially its middle point. The real part of bar-'42 is slotted 'forthe passage others 38.

From the rear end=of the-bar d2 rods 4% extend upwardly and have permanent connection with the-cross'member l4 heretofore described. Abar 45 having-a plurality of openings 46 therein is pivotally connected at itsupper'end'tothe rod 37 at a point substantially midway between the ends thereof andextends downwardly between the bars 38which have each a plurality ofopening's 't7, it being apparent that the bar lt'i'i'nay be moved to various positions bringing warious openings 46 thereon in coincidence with openings 47 in the bars 4-8 sothatapin may be inserted therethrough to retain the parts With this link and lever upper end of the ladder (referring-to Fig. 2) the front end of lever bears against the intermediate beam 4 while with the weight applied to *the opposite'end of the ladder, the strain istr'ansmittedto the rods d l causing 'a-tensionthe'rein. In this manner the strains made by application of weight to eitherend of the "ladder are best taken-care of without necessitating the use of heavy barsto'ta'ke compression with'the extra weight thereof.

A ladder'of the constructiondescribed is portable an'd'maybe readily moved-over the ground to any desired-position 'withrespect to a fruit tree. F or the lower branches the platform supported by the bars 30 may be used and it may he adjusted to a plurality of positions so that practically all the lower branches of a tree may be reached. For

branches somewhat higher the side ladders mitted from the main ladder is finally received by the :rodsl l and the'cross member 14, the construction being one that ISOf GS- peoial strength and =durability'and one in which the strains are transmitted in direct lines without thecreation' of eccentric strains which avould'be much harder *to take care of and for which a durable construction would 'be much harder to be "made.

*1 claims '1. In an or'chard ladder; altruckfupright spaced apart standards on the truck, a ladder pi-v'otally mounted between it's ends-to and between the upper ends of said :stand ards, means 'for adjusting and holding :the ladder in a plurality of different angular positions, ladders secured at their lower ends to the truck and at their upper endsto saidstandards, a horizont'al rod carried by said lastmentioned la'dders ad acent the upper en'ds,'spa'ced 'apart b'a'rs' connected to "said rod and extending downwardly and forwardly to the front end of the truckyand a platform in fron t' of'said bars adjustably inoun'ted I thereon substantially i as described.

2. In an orchard ladder, a truck including spaced apart side bealns conneclted by *front andrear crossbeams, an intermediate b eam ttached to and between the :cross beams, L a pairoflinks depending from-said in-ter'mediate 5 b 2 am near its'fro'nt enth a barlying below said intermediate beam and pi'votally connected at its front end to "saidli'nks, asecond pair of links extending "upwardly from adjacent the re'ar end of-said beam, a se'co'nd bar piyotally c'onnected at substantialli'ts middle pointto said links, a third pair- 0f links connected to the front-end of the sec- "ond bar and tothe first bar a distan'ce back of the front end i thereof, an uprightlsupport on the truck, rods secured to the rear end of the second 'bar andext'endingupwardly and attached to the uprightsupport a'dj acent its upper endga-la :lderipivotally mounted between its ends t o 'the upperend of 'said support, a rod .piv otally connected adj acent the rear end of=fsaid ladder and 1 extending don' nw'ardly and forward1-y, bars provided with -a plurality of "openings therethro'u'gh pivotally connected at their upper ends to the front end of said rod and at their lower ends to said first bar and a bar pivotally connected at its upper end to the rod between its ends and extending between the two bars provided with openings, said last mentioned bar also having a plurality of openings therein adapted to be placed in conjunction with said first mentioned openings in said bars to receive a pin therethrough, substantially as described.

3. In an orchard ladder, a truck, an upright on the truck, a ladder pivotally mounted between its ends at the upper end of the truck, a rod pivotally connected at one end adjacent the rear end of the ladder and eX- tending downwardly and forwardly, a bar pivotally connected to the forward end of the rod, a second bar pivotally connected to Copies of this patent may be obtained for the lower end of the first bar extending under the truck and having pivotal connection at its front end thereto, a third bar located above the truck and pivotally mounted at its middle point thereon, links connecting the frontend of the third bar with said second bar, rods connected to the rear end of the third bar and extending upwardly and fastened to the support, a fourth bar pivotally connected at its upper end to the first named rod at a point between the ends thereof and extending downwardly and forwardly to the first named bar, and means to connect said fourth and first bars together at a plurality of different positions, substantially as described. I

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

ENOCH WV. RYDER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

